Bookies suspend Late Late host bets as clear favourite emerges

Mad scenes altogether.

Ladbrokes has had to suspend all betting on the next host of The Late Late Show after a clear favourite emerged. Speaking to The Irish Mail on Sunday, an insider said that Claire Byrne being the next host is "all but a done deal." Following reports that the betting would be suspended, there was a rush to the site this morning and the bookies now have officially decided to stop it from taking place. Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “All the signs are pointing in the direction of Claire Byrne when it comes to The Late Late Show. “Along with news reports, we witnessed a rush of bets in favour of Byrne first thing this morning despite her short odds. As a result, we have decided to suspend betting on the market for the time being.” While Claire is the clear favourite by viewers to take over from Ryan Tubridy, she spoke out recently about taking over. She told the RTÉ Guide: "I was as surprised as anyone to hear the news of Ryan's decision but when I interviewed him on the radio I could tell he was very happy with his choice and that really is the most important thing. "I was taking a bit of a break from television, but I never said I would never do TV again. "It is just that time slot was very demanding in terms of the rest of my schedule." Tubridy only has a handful of weeks left on The Late Late Show so we won't have to wait much longer to find out who his replacement is.

Related links:

Claire Byrne speaks out about Late Late Show rumours

Ryan Tubridy is taking a break from RTE radio show to work on "bits and pieces"

Claire Byrne likely to be announced as the next Late Late Show host